Brainstorming an evil mastermind prc

[Harald]

WIP in progress, ideas & criticisms welcome.

6]7[/cell]

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Scheme Points
1.	+0	+0	+0	+2	Schemes, Brutal Cunning, Evil Doctorate, Villainous Identity	1
2.	+1	+0	+0	+3	Evil Overlord	2
3.	+2	+1	+1	+3	Cunning Brutality, Cunning Denial	2
4.	+3	+1	+1	+4	Nemesis, Evil Overlord	3
5.	+3	+1	+1	+4	Wheels Within Wheels	3
6.	+4	+2	+2	+5	Villainous Identity	3
7.	+5	+2	+2	+5	Overlord Feat	4
8.	+6	+2	+2	+6	Just As Planned	4
9.	+6	+3	+3	+6	Evil Overlord	5
10.	+7	+3	+3	+7	Wheels Within Wheels	5
11.	+8	+3	+3	+7	Absolute Ruthlessness	5
12.	+9	+4	+4	+8	Villainous Identity, Evil Overlord	6
13.	+9	+4	+4	+8	That's all you can do ?
14.	+10	+4	+4	+9	Evil Overlord	7
15.	+11	+5	+5	+9	Wheels Within Wheels	7
16.	+12	+5	+5	+10	Improved Cunning Denial
17.	+12	+5	+5	+10	Evil Overlord	8
18.	+13	+6	+6	+11	Villainous Identity	8
19.	+14	+6	+6	+11	Evil Overlord	9
20.	+15	+6	+6	+12	Wheels Within Wheels, Magnificient Bastard	9

[/table2]
Skills known: All. 6+Int/level.
HD: d8.

Alignment : Any. The feats, background & abilities are written in an “evil” point of view, but nothing forbid a good aligned person to be a good schemer. You might have to rename said abilities to fit better.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mastermind is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armour and shields (except tower shields).
Schemes: The Mastermind is a brilliant polymath, a genius of many schemes and plots, thinking in plans within plans within plans. Always ready to use anything to advance his objectives, he will prepare himself, be it by studying ancient spells, paying lip services to gods to steal their powers, learning the art of masters –and killing them for practice.
But while a Mastermind learns many paths, he masters none of them. Rather than train in a given field, he masters all the basics and manages to pull out something useful when the situation calls it. Beware of the Mastermind when everything goes along to his plans, for he will leverage any potential situation to further his purpose dramatically.
To represent this seemingly random body of knowledge and perfect planning, a Mastermind gains Scheme points that he can spend to activate his abilities. Each day, he gains a number of Scheme points determined by his level (see Table 1–1). A mastermind can also, by a full action, renew his Scheme points, leaving him flat footed until the beginning of his next round An appropriate description of such action can be cackling like a maniac, a long winded monologue, taunting an enemy with a martial flourish in combat, petting a cat, pondering broodily on his throne, killing a minion, sending an helpless victim in an extraordinarily complicated Trap of inescapable –slow- death, watching Rome burn while reciting poetry, or anything else deemed sufficiently stylishly evil. Should the Mastemind pool be full, he can also use said action to gain an additional Scheme Point for each full round spent doing this, up to a maximum of his Int bonus * his mastermind class level. These additional Scheme Points should be used first, and disappear if not used after 24h. 
Brutal Cunning (Ex): You have no qualm using your massive intellect to hurt others and to avoid being hurt. Before making an attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 Scheme point to gain a competence bonus on the roll equal to your Intelligence modifier. Brutal Cunning does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others’ turns—provided that you have the Scheme points to spend. Because this ability provides a competence bonus, it does not stack with itself.
Evil Doctorate (Ex): When making a check involving a skill in which you have at least 1 rank, you can spend 1 Scheme point to gain a bonus on the check equal to your Mastermind level. You can use this ability once per day for a particular skill. For example, if you use Evil Doctorate to gain a bonus on a Hide check, you cannot use the ability to improve other Hide checks for the rest of the day, though you can use it on different skills.
Villainous Identity (Ex): You are not a mere Overlord-wanabe. You have something different, a potent talent that will grow with you, and the reason why you can be a credible candidate for World Domination.
At first level, you must one choose among the different paths describded below. At level 6, 12 and 18, you can choose an aditionnal one. For those, consider your Mastermind class level to be your actual class level -6, -12 & -18 respectively, in consideration to effects based on your Mastermind class level.
Evil Overlord: Masterminds are legendary for the resources they can gather to further their plots, and gaining more. At 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th and 19th level, you can choose one of the following special abilities. Except noted otherwise, each of these abilities can only be taken once:
- Affably evil: Why yes, I expect you to dine, Mr Bond ! You might be a ruthless, cold, murderous bastard, but you know how to behave in society, and even collaborate with people with a different point of view from yours, for a time. Even your Nemesis.
You add Charisma skill checks and abilities checks in your Cunning Brutality class ability. Moreover, you can freely associate with someone of a different alignment than yours, including your Nemesis, and the same for them, if both of you agrees to work, until the association ends as normal or by back-stabbing. For instance, a Paladin will not fall should he associates with you, to fight a bigger threat, or sharing a table with you at the Orphanage Charity Ball organized by said Paladin’s Order.
- Dramatic Entrance: The difference between a mere villain and you? Presentation! You can now cast Prestidigation, Summon Instrument, Unseen Servant and Ventriloquy as spell-like abilities at will. At 12 HD, you also receive Servant Horde as a spell-like ability at will.
- Dramatic Exit:  You will never catch me, mwahaHAHAHAHAH ! When everything goes wrong, you know how to disappear, to get your revenge another day. As an immediate action, once per day, you can planeshift like the spell, without error if you decide to go a place you know, for instance your Lair. This is an extraordinary or supernatural ability, depending how you describe it: you can disappear in a puff of smoke from a smoke grenade, jump from your tower on your airship, or being taken over between the claws of a giant bird.
 You loose all your remaining Scheme points, and you are considered as defeated, should your enemy gains Xp. Furthermore, you leave behind you a clue of where you go, or alternatively, a rift that act like a Planeshift spell. Both can found and/or activated by a single DC 15 Spot or Search test. A Nemesis does get his nemesis bonus on this test.
- Doomsday Device: It’s alive!  IT’S ALIVE ! You receive an Item Creation Feat which you fulfil its prerequisites, with your caster level equal to your mastermind class levels. You still need a caster or scrolls to provide the spells needed for creating the wanted effects. You can invest Scheme points on a item you are crafting, or as a reserve to be used to improve your craft when the need arise. One scheme point is the equivalent of 10 xp or 10 gp of crafted material. I-e : should 100 scheme points be invested in a word being crafted, that sword is one day closer to its completion. An item creation can not take less than one day to be created.
- Improved Doomsday Device: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
You gain one additional Item Creation Feat which you fulfil its prerequisites. You no longer need to provide a scroll or to get a spellcaster to cast the spell needed for an item : if you have a caster level, thus a Mastermind class level high enough, then you can ddo it yourself. You now receive 25 xp or 100 gp from 1 Scheme Point invested in craft. Furthermore, you can reduce the crafting time of an item up to 0: thanks to your magnificent scheming skill, you already have the right dangerous tool for the right evil job!  Prerequisite: Doomsday Device.
-Improved Lair: Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to my secret Moon-base. Nothing says better that you are a successful Mastermind, than an impressive lair in an exotic place with exotic materials. You no longer suffer cost increases due to the location of your stronghold, and the mobility upgrade costs are halved. Costs of this kind already spent are refunded, to be used only to improve further your lair. Furthermore, should your Lair be destroyed by it’s auto-destruction device or overcame by a Nemesis, you have immediately access to an other lair of the same global value. Prerequisite: Lair.
- Lair : Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to my “underground” lair. After some brutal evictions and well-spent bribes, you are now the righteous owner of your own dungeon, a place you will sculpt at your image. You receive the Landlord feat. You can invest scheme points on your lair and the people attending it, at a 1 Scheme point for 100 gp rate. Though, your Lair, even the well-designed ones, always has a glaring flaw or an auto-destruction device. Should the worse happen, you can decide to activate it, to seal the doom of your lair. To find the trigger of this device or flaw, is a DC15+your mastermind level Search test. A Nemesis does get his nemesis bonus on this test.
The nature of the auto-destruction should be determined when the lair is build, as well as the damage it does to those trapped inside, should they are not fast enough to escape, and the time necessary to avoid such fate. In doubt, the GM is the final judge.
Cunning Brutality (Ex): You are not above using brutal force to solve a problem if need be, but you will do it intelligently. At 3rd level, you gain your Intelligence bonus as a modifier on Strength checks, Dexterity checks, and checks involving skills based on Strength or Dexterity, such as Hide, Climb, and Jump.
Cunning Denial (Ex): The Fools! Nothing can stop you, especially not their pitiful attempts to put you down! Starting at 3rd level, you can spend 1 Scheme point to gain your Intelligence bonus as a dodge bonus to Armor Class against one opponent for 1 round. Using this ability is a free action. You gain this benefit even while wearing medium or heavy
armor. You can use this ability multiple times to gain a bonus against different opponents, but you cannot use it more than once during your turn against a single foe.
Nemesis (Ex): No more will this interlopers meddle with your plans! You will not allow this anymore! Starting at 4th level, you can designate a target, a group, an organisation, a race, a country, a religion or even a whole world as your Nemesis. In a free action, you swear that you will bring down your Nemesis. Samewise, someone who did suffer a great loss (such as a mentor, a family member, a beloved pet or a lover, for instance) from your action, can as well declare you as a Nemesis. You will then learn that he is one the next time you see or meet him.
From now on, you gain a +2 un-typed bonus on Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against your Nemesis. Likewise, you get a +2 un-typed bonus to hit and weapon damage rolls against it. However, Fate is a cruel mistress: your Nemesis will gain as well such a bonus against you and your associates. This bonus will stay until you, or your Nemesis, or both, dies. Should you or your Nemesis come back to life, the bonus will come again as soon one of them learn that the Nemesis is alive. You can get as many Nemesis as you wish.
At 8th level and every four levels thereafter ((12th, 16th and 20th level), the bonus against the Nemesis and you increases by 2.
Wheels within Wheels : You have activated my Trap Card !
Just as Planned (Ex): Starting at 8th level, you plot so well that your plans unravel in a mere blink of the eye. By spending 3 Scheme points, you can take an extra standard action during your turn.
Absolute Ruthlessness (Su): Starting at 11th level, your broad knowledge allows you to study an opponent and gain a brief flash of insight to breach her defenses. By spending 2 Scheme points as a free action, you can ignore a single target’s spell resistance and damage reduction for 1 round. The target automatically fails any spell resistance check
that she attempts to avoid your spell.
That’s all you can do ? (Ex): At 13th level, you have defeated so many vain attempts to stop you that you have a contingency prepared against almost everything. If you take damage that would reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points, you can spend 4 Scheme points as an immediate action to ignore the damage. You dodge out of the way, take cover from a spell, throw a minion on the way, escape or simply laugh the attack off at the face at your assailant. Should you use this ability more than once a day, the Scheme point cost double each time.
Improved Cunning Denial (Ex): At 16th level, you gain your Intelligence bonus as a dodge bonus to Armor Class. You no longer need to spend an inspiration point to gain this benefit. Unlike the standard cunning Denial ability, you do not gain this benefit when wearing  medium or heavy armor.
Magnificent Bastard (Ex): No idea yet for the final ability.

Evil Overlord abilities not done yet :
-Improved Minions :
- Information network :
- Final Boss Stage :
- Improved Final Boss Stage :
- Improved Information Network :
- Minions: spend Schemes points to have a bunch of disposable lackeys at your side right now !
- This Is Not Even My Final Form !

IDENTITIES LIST :
Alpha Monster You are the most dangerous and powerful of your kind, thanks to your devious cunning. You will show them all !
You must from a race which suffer Levels Adjustements, Racial Hit Dices, or both. When selecting this Identity, you can choose to swap your racial hit dices, or your level adjustements -not both-, with Evil Mastermind class levels. You must choose the Mastermind's hit dices, Bab, Saves and skill points per level, even though the racial dices were better or not. You gain Mastermind class abilites as normal with their levels, and you keep all the abilities, weaknesses, spells and powers you get from your race.
You can select this Identity a second time.
Dark Champion. Your martial prowesses are peerless. By your sword or your bow, the world will be yours !
Once you have taken the Dark Champion identity, select a base class which do not offer a nine level spell progression nor a nine level power progression. You are considered being from this class with a level equal to your Mastermind class level -3 for feats prerequisites. Each time you gain the Evil Overlord class ability, you also gain a class ability from the chosen class among those available to a character of this class with a level equal to your Mastermind class level -3. You can not select an ability without their prerequisites (for instance, Tireless Rage without having already some kind of Rage Ability).
You can take the Dark Champion identity multiples times, each time for a different base class.
Dark Wanderer. You travel everywhere, your shadow glooming over every place.
When you choose this Identity, you can select one ability among the following :
- Fell Mount : you gain a beast you can ride anywhere. You can summon it as a paladin summons his Mount, but otherwise, the creature works in all ways as a Druid's Animal companion, your mastermind class level equal to your druid class level in this regard. You gain a riding related feat every four Mastermind levels you gain thereafter.
- On Leather Wings : Glide or Scorn Earht like ability, then Flight with increasing mobility after 5HD?
- Unempended Movment: Swim or Climb or Burrow speed. ignore difficult terrain at 7 HD and Freedom of Mouvement @will at 14th HD.
- Eldritch Mobility : short range tactical teleportation. Shadow Pounce at 10 th Mastermind level ?
You can choose this Identity multiple times, each time choosing a different ability.
Dungeon Master. You are not only the proud owner of a dark forteress, a safe place for your plots to mature... You excel in keeping your own place in good order, thus managing to create a place REALLY fit to your grandeur.
You gain Lair - as the Evil Overlord ability-.You earn a 2% gold reduction for each Mastermind level you have, to any costs related to a lair : building costs, land costs, permanent items bound to the place,  servants and guards costs (but not their equipment, unless it can in no ways leave the place).

Eldritch Dabbler. Through Forbidden means, you have gathered some special powers to use as you see fit.
 At the start of each day, choose a number of spells from any spell list based on your Mastermind level. You can choose one spell at first level, and you gain one additional spell per day every additionnal three mastermind levels. The maximum level of spell you can use, according to your class level is 1 at first level, and said level increase every four mastermind levels. You can select any spell up to that level, but you can prepare only one spell of your maximum level. Your caster level equals your level in the Mastermind class. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + your Int modifier.
Once you have used a spell, you cannot use it again until you have rested for 8 hours. After resting for this time, you choose new spells and lose any unused spells from the previous day, though you can select the same spell on consecutive days. You cannot prepare the same spell multiple times to use it more than once during the same day. You can use spells that require an XP cost. You must provide the necessary material components as normal.
If you wish to enhance a spell with a metamagic feat, you must apply the feat when you prepare the spell. In addition, you must be capable of using a spell of the modified spell’s level.
 Because he uses spells as if they were spell-like abilities, a Mastermind can wear armour without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. A multiclass Mastermind still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
Recurring Vilain
you gain the following Ability.
-No One could have survived that! For most, failing from an hundreds feet high cliff in a raging volcano is a lethal experience. For you, it is a mere setback. And soon, very soon, you will back, and claim your righteous revenge....
Should you die and have this ability, you are ressurected in your original form by a True Ressurection effect 1d10*1d12*1d20 days after your demise.  Though, in this ordeal, you lose all your equipment, your minions, your organisation and your lair, as you are officially dead. If that was not already the case, the one responsible for your demise are now your Nemesis.
This ability even work again soul destruction effects, death inside the Dreamheart, artifacts and similar definitive erasures. In that case, the duration necessary for your True Resurection to happen becomes years, or in special cases such a direct divine intervention, even centuries. But you WILL come back.

Malevolent Artisan. You are a gifted creator... but that has a price.

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Nothing done here. this is for the Sauron wannabes.

Master of Disguise. You can infiltrate everywhere... and change your identity.

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identity theft, for those who love play the doppelganger or the ultimate spy.To be develloped.

Minion Master. Why lifting the heavy work, when you have minions to toil for you ?

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Otherworldly Emissary. You are from a different place, and will use it to rule this one.

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to become an outsider, and have a part of your place with you : for instance, a king of ice will bring forth an aura of cold with him, etc... I do think I'll steal from the Planar Shepard. Concerning the trouble of different time : if there is no interaction between two places of different time stream, inside the bubble, same time stream as the original place. if  there is interaction, then, everyone is on the same time.
Example : the bubble is in a 10:1 plane. a man inside the bubble will have the accelerated time. BUT, should a fight occur on the material plane, everyone is on a 1:1 ratio.

Ruthless Tyrant.

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Intimidation, fear effects ? 

Silvertongue Devil.

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mind control, suggestion, etc...

Treasure Hoarder.

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Same principle as Dark champion, with spellthief, rogue, scout... Major : high Reflexes & Trapfinding. Minor : ???

[Rakoa]

I love the idea of this evil mastermind class. I think I may make one myself sometime soon. The only issues I can see with this one as of now (given that it is still a WIP) is the ability to turn scheme points into gold for the purposes of item creation and lair construction. Given that scheme points can be regenerated with a simple full round action, whats to stop a Mastermind from sitting around all day, chuckling to himself as he regenerates scheme points and builds some super lair with just a day's work?

[Harald]

It is still a WIP, especially concerning this part in fact. I need to calculate how much a Mastermind can "earn" in Scheme Points each day, and tune this with these abilities. Especially that considering that a worthy Lair can cost hundred thousand golds, an army of minions as well...

[Rakoa]

Yes, of course. I just wanted to ensure that the possible issue was brought to your attention as early as possible so as to make certain that you didn't have to waste any further effort in the future repairing the issue. I think it can be solved by mentioning that only X amount of scheme points can be spent in such a way per day/week/whatever, and that it grants a bonus of +Y for any Nemesis looking for you (after all, it is hard to construct a super base secretly).

[Harald]

I have edit the last post to add a few things.
still lacking :
- the Wheels within Wheels ability. I need to formulate that correctly, but basically, it should be basically a light-contingency effect : you are so good at planning that you have forecasted what happened NOW and prepared for it before hand.
- the capstone, Magnificient bastard. You are so good at plotting that your own ennemies carry your own schemes (you earn Schemes points from your Nemesis' actions, duration, how much ?)
- some identities, including the Emissary. For this one, the simplest route is to disallow plannar time shenanigans (aka : inside your bubble, the time flows at the exact same rythme as the place you are in).
- some Overlord abilities, especially the minions, and the final boss stage ability -aka, you transform the place

Rakoa, when will you need this class to be done ? what kind of things would you like to see in first ?

[sirpercival]

Hey Harald, I haven't had time to look at this yet -- I'm going to give it a thorough going-over, though.  Worry not.

[Harald]

Hey Harald, I haven't had time to look at this yet -- I'm going to give it a thorough going-over, though.  Worry not.

Hey, thanks! I'm sure it will be needed. First time I try to homebrew, with something quite ambitious. Add that that English is not my first language and that I'm a bit busy, I'm sure there are broken things there, or even gibberish.

[Rakoa]

I won't need the class done at any particular point in time. I am planning to use eventually, but not for anything that requires it on a schedule. The last thing I would want is for this class to be rushed.

Wheels Within Wheels as you've described it is a classic ability for an evil mastermind to have. As for representing it mechanically, I would probably go with a floating pool of gold that the mastermind can invest in, and spend at any point in time (perhaps by spending scheme points) to effectively purchase an item instantaneously, with the effect being that the mastermind foresaw the item being required and bought it earlier. So, for example, if his nemesis has just Spartan Kicked him off a cliff, by spending 2200 gold from his Wheels Within Wheels pool, he can whip a Ring of Feather Falling out of his pocket and slide it onto his finger.

Another similar effect which can be represented similarly is a floating pool of gold within his base/lair/stronghold, so the mastermind can spend gold in a pool there to instantly have the perfect deathtrap exactly where his Nemesis is standing. That sounds like another classic effect the mastermind can pull off. Super binding shackles that appear from nowhere, the ground opening up exactly where the Nemesis is conveniently standing to reveal a monster-filled pit, and so on.

Just some ideas.

[Harald]

Well, I was thinking about something like that already, in the Evil overlord section, with Doomsday Device. But yes, we can use Wheels within Wheels to summon a Doomsday Device when needed, or even Minions.
Basically, the Overlord give the tool, and Wheel within can be used to get the tool right when it is needed.

[sirpercival]

Alrighty, I finally got a chance to look through this. Awesome start! I love the Factotum chassis.  However, there are a lot of abilities that need to be cleaned up, reworded, or altered -- tons of abuseable material here. Would you like me to (a) give you in-depth comments on everything, (b) present you with some rewritten versions of things, (c) steal what you have here as inspiration and write my own (essentially a more in-depth version of b), or some combination of these options?

[Elevevated Beat]

This is going to be an amazing thread.
Factotum villains will easily be the most memorable villains in a campaign (assuming equal-ish RP immersement).

[Harald]

Alrighty, I finally got a chance to look through this. Awesome start! I love the Factotum chassis.  However, there are a lot of abilities that need to be cleaned up, reworded, or altered -- tons of abuseable material here. Would you like me to (a) give you in-depth comments on everything, (b) present you with some rewritten versions of things, (c) steal what you have here as inspiration and write my own (essentially a more in-depth version of b), or some combination of these options?

I'm back from Internet hell ! Yes, please, go ahead with option c, though I won't mind to see your option a) remarks .